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West Seattle Crime Watch: Child reports luring attempt in Admiral
June 14, 2011 2:05 pm
|      20 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Safety | West Seattle news

Someone tried to lure a child into a car last night, according to this report just in from Sandy, who wanted to “warn parents and schools in the neighborhood about this”:

I just wanted to let you know about something that happened yesterday in the Admiral District.

At approx. 6 pm, my eleven year old nephew and his 9 year old brother were skateboarding and biking around our block (the 1500 block of California ave SW) [map]. They were just going around it in a circle, as they are not allowed to cross the street. For just a brief few minutes, the older boy was out of our sight. He went to the top of the block and was coming down the sidewalk near our home when a man in a black car pulled up and opened his rear passenger door and said, “Get in, I’ve got some licorice for you.”

Thank God this kid was old enough and smart enough to run as fast as he could to get help. The man drove off quickly.

The police did come and take a report and were wonderful with this scared young boy. They assured him that he had done nothing wrong and had in fact done everything right.

We checked the time-lag police-report map, and there is indeed a “suspicious circumstances” call logged for that area for that time last night. We are checking with the Southwest Precinct to see if there have been any other similar reports lately, or if this seems to have been an isolated report.

2:34 PM UPDATE: From the police report, a more detailed description: White man, 30-50, black hair, mustache, medium build, gray shirt, blue jeans, heart-shaped earring, smaller black car.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Hit-run search, stolen bike, more
June 12, 2011 11:19 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Five West Seattle Crime Watch reports this morning – starting with the search for a hit-run driver. Amy sent the above photo and explains:

Our 1997 Toyota Tercel was struck by a hit and run driver Saturday morning (6/11) in the 3900 block of SW Orchard. The car is totalled with front body damage on the right side. The perps lost control coming around the corner at 39th and Orchard, tore up our neighbors parking strip and came to a hard stop against our parked vehicle pushing it backward about five feet. Damage to the car that hit would be the front passenger side. We did not hear the accident but our neighbor heard the crash sometime around 12:30 to 1:00 am. It was not a pretty car, but we had it for 13 years, it ran great, and it was much needed transportation for our family. We did call the police and received a case number-11-187004

After the jump – 4 more reports, starting with a stolen tandem bicycle (photo included):Read More

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The WSBeat: Alleged prowler punched; cranky caller; road rage…
June 11, 2011 1:47 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police | WSBeat

By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog

From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:

*The victim of a car prowl took matters into his own hands around 1 a.m. last Saturday, when he came outside (in the 2300 block of Barton Pl.) and punched a man who he said was breaking into his car. When officers arrived, the 55-year-old suspect (who lives in the neighborhood) was on the ground, bleeding from a cut near his eye. He was taken to Harborview for treatment and then booked into King County Jail for investigation of theft.

*A man using the business phone at a Junction grocery became loud and belligerent. When the manager told the man to hang up, he was threatened and shoved. A nearby witness happened to be a police officer, who held the intoxicated suspect down until uniformed officers arrived. The suspect, a Beacon Hill resident, was booked into jail for investigation of assault.

Six more summaries, plus new details on an incident recently covered in WSB Crime Watch, ahead:Read More

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Overnight trouble in 2 neighborhoods
June 10, 2011 1:46 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Busy late night/early morning for residents and police in two West Seattle neighborhoods. The Crime Watch reports, ahead:Read More

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Seen this Civic?
June 10, 2011 10:36 am
|      13 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Out of the WSB inbox, from Andy – a stolen car to watch for:

My wife’s car was stolen from in front of our house in the 4000 block of 50th Avenue SW [map] during the early morning of June 9th. It has been reported to the police, but I’m hoping that WSB readers can help. It is a 1991 red Honda Civic two door hatchback, license number 589 PDW. If it is seen, please call 911.

Here’s hoping it’s spotted (maybe even by a good neighbor like Margaret, whose Twitter-car-theft-solving tale appeared here Wednesday, and she got a TV spotlight that night).

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Registration now open for this year’s ‘Night Out Against Crime’
June 9, 2011 1:03 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

It’s one of the most fun nights of the summer – hundreds of neighborhoods around West Seattle, and thousands elsewhere, celebrating community and crimefighting as part of the annual Night Out Against Crime. Despite cuts in the Seattle Police crime-prevention-coordinator staff, Night Out is on, according to word just in from Mark Solomon, who’s the coordinator for precincts including ours. He says Night Out this year is on Tuesday, August 2nd, and you can register your block party (which means you get to close the street, as long as it’s not an arterial) right now! Just go here. There’s a Night Out page on Facebook, too – find that here. And as we say every year, we would love to feature your party as part of WSB coverage – if you wouldn’t mind a photojournalist stopping by, please let us know the address (here’s how to reach us) before party night! (And if we don’t make it, please share a photo, as it’s great to show everyone in West Seattle as many of the neighbors and friends they just haven’t yet met!)

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Stolen car found via Twitter
June 8, 2011 12:01 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Arbor Heights | Crime | West Seattle news

Longtime WSB’er Margaret Lanphier is getting a shoutout on the SPD Blotter website today – for helping reunite a stolen car with its owner. Spotting an unfamiliar car on her Arbor Heights block, she checked SPD’s @getyourcarback Twitter account – which sends out the plates of cars reported stolen – and found it had been tweeted. Turned out the car had been stolen from Capitol Hill. Read the full story here – including advice for people whose stolen cars are recovered, stemming from what was found inside this one.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: 3 notes, including a puzzling prowl
June 7, 2011 6:07 pm
|      18 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Before we get to two West Seattle Crime Watch reports – a quick note about a sizable police response in Arbor Heights this afternoon, near 34th/102nd: What started as an “assault with weapons/aid” call on the 911 log was a fight between relatives, police told us at the scene. While one person suffered minor injuries, they said, no one needed to go to the hospital, and they were not expecting to arrest anyone involved. Now, to two reports out of the WSB inbox today – both involving car crime, including a prowling incident whose victim is a bit puzzled:Read More

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Denny damage, teen arrested
June 5, 2011 11:27 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

11:27 PM: We’d been waiting to hear back from the precinct after asking about a report of police at Denny International Middle School earlier. This new update from SPD Blotter is apparently the answer:

On June 5th at approximately 3:49 p.m. officers responded to a middle school in the 8400 block of 30th Avenue SW after school security received an interior burglar alarm trip. School security was able to hear banging and breaking glass, and eventually saw the juvenile male suspect inside the office area of the school breaking things.

After establishing containment, officers entered the premises and found fresh damage to the office area including smashed glass panels in the doors. Officers then saw the suspect running in an interior courtyard. When they cut off his avenue of escape, the suspect turned and ran in another direction through the complex. After a brief foot pursuit, officers took the suspect into custody.

Officers secured the suspect and finished searching the rest of the building complex. Officers then photographed and documented the damage and collected evidence.

The suspect, a 13-year-old male, was transported to the Southwest Precinct where he was released to the custody of his father.

There are no other suspects outstanding or believed to be involved in the burglary and property damage to the school. Southwest Precinct Burglary detectives will be handling the active and ongoing investigation.

No word on how/if this affects school tomorrow – we’re checking.

7:31 AM MONDAY: Principal Jeff Clark says the damage “is not extensive.” He adds, “The district facilities department did a great job replacing several broken windows in the library and main office last night. We are all set to have a normal student day here at school.”

6:35 PM MONDAY: We asked the school district about a dollar value on the damage done; spokesperson Teresa Wippel says the only damaged items that had to be replaced were broken windows, costing $732 for labor/materials.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Can you help find this car?
June 3, 2011 9:09 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Out of the WSB inbox this morning, a request from Peter, for your help in finding a stolen car:

My wife’s car was stolen from our driveway on Wednesday night. We’ve reported the theft to the police, but hope WSB readers can help us find it. It’s a black 2004 Saab convertible, license plate ADC 1007. If someone sees it, please call 911. Thanks to one and all.

(He didn’t mention what neighborhood, but we’ve got a return inquiry out and will update – please include general location info with Crime Watch reports – nearest intersection will suffice – thanks!)

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Gas-line slashing; prowler spooked
June 1, 2011 10:33 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Gas siphoning, or vandalism? One of our two West Seattle Crime Watch reports tonight involves a crime that could be either or both; the other involves a car prowler getting scared off – details on both, ahead:Read More

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West Seattle Crime Watch: And another car break-in…
May 29, 2011 4:47 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

In addition to the two car crimes noted here earlier, Derek has since sent that photo along with news of what happened to his car – in hopes his neighbors will be hereby warned: “Just wanted to connect with you and say that my car was broken into Saturday night. It happened after midnight and my passenger side window was smashed. I am on the corner of Fauntleroy and Dawson. Very frustrating and I hope everyone in the area can be aware this happened.”

If you wonder “what good does a warning do?” there are two things we can mention for starters: #1, the perennial reminder not to keep anything in your car; #2, if you hear a noise outside, especially late at night or very early, do look if you can do so safely – spotting someone in the act and calling police with as much descriptive information as you can muster might just lead to an arrest.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: 2 more car incidents
May 29, 2011 11:44 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports to share this morning – both involving car crimes, which local police acknowledge are the most common ones they deal with. Read More

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The WSBeat: Gunfire; beer beating; brazen metal-theft target…
May 27, 2011 12:23 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police | WSBeat

By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog

From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:

*Around 5:30 Tuesday evening, a citizen called 911 to report that someone in a passing car had fired a shot toward a home in the 6500 block of 34th SW. As it turns out, a person on the sidewalk had been the target. (And the target wouldn’t answer any questions.) Officers did, however, have a description of the car, which — along with its driver— turned out to be well-known to gang detectives. It was spotted and pulled over in Rainier Valley later in the week. The 17-year-old driver, a Kent resident, was booked into the Youth Service Center for investigation of the drive-by shooting.

Eleven more summaries – and it’s a little grittier than usual this time, so beware – after the jump:Read More

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Stolen car; interrupted car prowl
May 27, 2011 9:01 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports to share this morning (and the latest WS Beat roundup is in the works for a bit later) – First, just in from Judy, a Fairmount Springs car theft early today:

I wanted to alert the WSB community of a car theft. Seems like there’s been a rash of these posted recently!

Our car was stolen from in front of our house this morning around 4:30 am. 39th Ave SW and Raymond (one block off Fauntleroy – 5900 block of 39th Ave SW)

1998 white Nissan Maxima
License plate 984VFE

Also a *reminder* to not leave anything in your car. Unfortunately, my husband left his golf clubs, backpack and umpire gear in the vehicle – so this was all taken.

Another thing – I heard them this morning. I thought it was the newspaper delivery person when I heard the rustling- looked at the clock 4:30 am- and decided it wasn’t worth getting up to investigate.

If you see this car, call 911. As for a “rash” of car thefts – we checked the police-report map; 11 noted in West Seattle in the past week (not counting Judy’s, since the map is time-lagged and won’t show a report from this morning till later today), 10 the previous week. No particular hot spot – they’re on the map from Admiral to Arbor Heights, Beach Drive to Highland Park. Meantime, after the jump, a car-prowl-interrupted report from this past Wednesday:Read More

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Video: West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network field trip shows do’s, don’ts of crime-resistant home
May 25, 2011 12:41 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police


(Click image to go to YouTube video page, where you can watch the video)
If you want to keep a burglar from kicking your door in, what matters is “not the deadbolt, it’s the door frame.” That potentially surprising advice was part of a briefing on Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, presented Tuesday night by Southwest Precinct Community Police Team Officer Jonathan Kiehn for the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network.

Officer Kiehn had briefed the group on CPTED principles back in March, and recapped that briefing last night before attendees headed to the local home chosen for the on-scene review. Once there, we rolled video on his entire outdoor-and-indoor review, which you can watch above, unedited and nearly an hour long – looking at everything from landscaping to lighting to doors to the back yard to the alley, and yes, the door-frame issue.

(Even if you’re not a Block Watch Captain – yet! – follow the group on Facebook and the Web for invaluable crime-prevention advice and meeting announcements.)

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Precious memories, taken by thieves
May 24, 2011 2:18 pm
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Highland Park | West Seattle news

A car prowl in Highland Park stole more than just belongings – it stole precious memories that were all Mary‘s daughter and grandchildren had left of their husband/father, killed in the Middle East. Mary says it took her a while to realize that a public plea just might somehow help bring back that one item full of memories – one particular hard drive:

Last month my daughter’s Suburban was broken into when she and the
babies spent the night at my house. When I opened the curtains in the morning I saw that the back hatch was open. She ran outside, looked in and instantly started crying – someone had stolen EVERYTHING from in it. Two car seats and all the stuff that goes with them, a large emergency kit she had just put together, the dog’s leases and toys, yard tools that she borrowed from me, the brand new Easter presents for the kids, a bunch of toys and of course all the electronics. They even took the kids’ cups that were in the back seat, some miscellaneous clothes that were tossed in and all the kids’ snacks that were in the glove box. Unbelievable.

The absolute worst part – they took two external hard drives. She had them in the console and was taking them somewhere to have one copied onto the other. The one she was copying belonged to her husband who died in Afghanistan last year. On it were the last photos and movies he took of his life with his military friends, what he was doing and feeling on his 9-month tour and the last photos of his life. The people who have this hard drive have no idea what they have done to my daughter – they took his life from her. Again.

I don’t think this was just some random kids prowling the streets and checking for unlocked car doors, these people must have had a large vehicle to take all this stuff away and while they tried to jimmy the ignition, they just succeeding in scratching up the steering column. We called the police and of course there is nothing they can do, this happens almost every night they say. Unfortunately the magnitude of this does not even register with them, it’s just another car prowl.

I know asking for the hard drives back is a stretch to say the least but I have to try. And of course if they get returned there will be no questions asked. Thank you.

You probably remember Mary’s son-in-law: Navy Petty Officer Jarod Newlove, the West Seattleite killed in Afghanistan ten months ago.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Witness helps solve burglary
May 23, 2011 8:56 pm
|      19 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Delridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(Photo shared by Michael, added Tuesday morning)
Couple messages came in earlier tonight about police activity at Delridge and Holden. Here’s what it was about, according to Lt. Ron Smith of the (not far from the scene) Southwest Precinct: About quarter till six, a call of “burglary in progress” in the 2400 block of SW Holden brought police to the scene. A witness said he had seen two “male juveniles” go into a home, steal items, and walk/run away.

Description/”direction of travel” information that the witness gave, quickly distributed among police, was good enough that officers found the suspects several blocks away; they fled into a residence and then, Lt. Smith continues, “The 2 suspects fled out a window at the rear of the house and were apprehended on a steep uphill embankment where they tried to conceal the stolen goods in the blackberry brush. Officers processed the scene and the recovered property was placed into evidence. Both suspects were positively identified and placed into the Youth Services Center for burglary. One suspect was also booked for a warrant. Thank you, West Seattleites, for taking good care of your neighborhoods!”

(P.S. Interested in burglary prevention? This meeting/field trip tomorrow night is for you.)

ADDED 10:23 PM: Since publishing this, we’ve received a note from the witness, Phillip, telling his story:

I actually heard them busting through my neighbor’s house and then saw them leaping over the fence, so I jumped up and ran out my door chasing after them down the street – I called out to my neighbor to call 911, and kept chasing them all the way down Holden (barefoot, mind you.. I didn’t even realize I forgot my shoes) where I saw them go running into a house. I managed to cut up my foot a bit chasing after them, but didn’t even realize until I got in my house and saw I was tracking blood around. I just did what any good neighbor would – looking out for them. :)

The credit really should go to the WSPD for their incredibly fast response.. it was only about 2 minutes from when I lost sight of them to when the first cruiser rolled up, and they’d apprehended them moments afterward.

ADDED TUESDAY MORNING: SPD Blotter featured this case early today. Only added detail is that the suspects are 16 and 17. Also, Michael shared a photo he took during the big police response, and we’ve added it atop the story.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: ‘A terrible ripoff’ & 3 more reports
May 22, 2011 6:48 pm
|      13 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Four West Seattle Crime Watch notes as the weekend comes to a close. First, the one to which Kevin tipped us, with e-mail headed “A Terrible Ripoff” – it’s about what you don’t see on this door, any longer:

The opening-soon Junction restaurant/pub A Terrible Beauty (California/Edmunds) is missing an ornate metal door-knocker. After Kevin’s note came in, WSB contributor Katie Meyer went over to find out more. Seems it turned up missing yesterday, and they speculate it might be a case of metal theft.

Sorry to say there’s no photo we can point you to so that you would know it if you saw it, but Katie says ATB’s co-owner Jenna Shannon Garvey O’Brien describes it as “(matching) the hardware on the door, which is pretty dark patinated brass, looks nearly black – it was round, about 3 inches, with a loop or ring that swung as the knocker. It was original to the antique door they got from a reclamation/salvage place, and they had taken the hardware off, painstakingly sanded/refinished and re-stained the door, then screwed the hardware back on.” Jenna told Katie they regret not nailing or gluing it to the door, since, Katie reports, “they’ve learned to nail everything down from their other establishment, where someone walked off with an ornate Celtic cross from inside the restaurant, and someone else walked out with a brass urn and an antique washboard!” Three more Crime Watch reports ahead – a parking-lot hit-run and a GPS theft – plus an arrest report from the Southwest Precinct:Read More

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Update: Man stabbed in Arbor Heights, taken to hospital
May 21, 2011 1:59 am
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Arbor Heights | Crime | West Seattle news | WS breaking news

ORIGINAL 1:59 AM REPORT: Police and medics are at the scene of a stabbing in the vicinity of 37th and 99th (map). According to scanner traffic, the victim is a 25-year-old stabbed in the abdomen and face with a “kitchen knife.” He’s being rushed to Harborview Medical Center.

2:17 AM UPDATE: At the scene, police tell us they are questioning a suspect. Adding a photo. No information on the circumstances yet, but we’ll be checking back.

1:08 PM UPDATE: Details on the circumstances, just obtained from Lt. Ron Smith of the Southwest Precinct: He says the incident started with an “ex-boyfriend forcing his way into the residence.” That man, he says, attacked his ex-girlfriend and another woman – until “another male in the residence … stabbed the (domestic-violence) suspect in an effort to stop the assault.”

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Viking Bank robbery photos
May 20, 2011 5:21 pm
|      23 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

An FBI agent was in the area near Viking Bank on the eastern edge of The Junction (40th/Alaska) earlier today, according to WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli, continuing to search for evidence in yesterday afternoon’s robbery (WSB coverage here), and showing surveillance photos. We had sent a request to FBI’s local media unit this morning, hoping such photos would be made available; they have just arrived in the inbox.

There’s no additional descriptive information today – just From the FBI news release: “A reward of up to $1,000 is being offered to anyone with information leading to the identification and capture of these subjects. Anyone with information regarding these subjects is asked to call 1-800-222-TIPS, the 24/7 anonymous tips line of the Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound.”

By the way – unless we’ve missed something, our archives indicate this was the first West Seattle bank robbery in almost nine months, since one at Westwood Village last August. The bank hit yesterday was also robbed in June of last year. (The June 2010 Viking Bank stickup was believed to be the work of the so-called “Mrs. Doubtfire” robber, so dubbed because authorities weren’t sure whether it was a man dressing as a woman; earlier this year, 54-year-old Kristen LeClaire was arrested in connection with that robbery spree, and we just looked up her status – she remains in jail, now charged with 9 counts, with her next status hearing set for May 31st.)

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Car prowlers apparently busy
May 20, 2011 9:52 am
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Perhaps a good-weather phenomenon – we’re getting more than a few car-prowl reports. One from Arbor Heights on the WSB Facebook page, mentioned in passing, then another from AH just came in via e-mail – that’s after the jump, along with reports from other West Seattle areas (NOTE – 1 “suspicious person” report, added 12:04 pm):Read More

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Cell-phone theft-spree arrests
May 19, 2011 9:24 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Earlier this week, a note came in, suggesting we look into a pattern of thefts. The anonymous tipster wrote in part:

3 students have reported having their cellphones stolen from them while waiting at bus stops in West Seattle. All 3 students have filed police reports accordingly. The first one happened during the last week of March, the most recent happened within the last week. Each of them happened at different bus stops, but all have happened in West Seattle.

Each student was approached by a young person they did not know, who either asked to use the student’s phone for an emergency or simply asked to see the time. If the student resisted, they were bullied by the stranger & the stranger’s friends. When the students did take out their phones, the stranger grabbed the phones and ran away with their friends.

Two of the victims also were assaulted, wrote the tipster. But before we could finish investigating this to write about it – we found out that the Southwest Precinct has a break in the case. After we saw Lt. Pierre Davis at the Alki Community Council meeting tonight, he shared this exuberant report:

While conducting surveillance, the SW ACT Team watched one of the possible suspects steal a cell phone from a victim. They did a stake-out on the suspect’s residence and arrested the suspect when he exited. A search incident to the arrest located the stolen cell phone. Our SW ACT Team also located the other involved suspects and arrested them as well. Crime spree over!!! Winning!!!!!

Next step – we’ll be seeking to find out who the suspects are and what happens to them in the jail/court system.

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